Olympic Club offers an authentic railroad hotel experience
1802, 2020

Olympic Club offers an authentic railroad hotel experience

If you’re looking for stunning views from picture windows, wide screen TVs with streaming channels, and a brightly-lit lobby where you can enjoy a complimentary continental breakfast, the Olympic Club in downtown Centralia, Washington, is not for you. Heck, if your travel needs require a toilet in your own room, you may want to pass on it as well. And though it doesn’t have an Olympic-sized pool, what the Olympic Club does offer is more historical authenticity than you might expect.

Marketing in the Methow Valley
1610, 2015

Marketing in the Methow Valley

Thanks to my work with Scenic Washington, I was invited to be a presenter at their annual retreat in Winthrop. Since I haven’t been to Winthrop since I was about seven, I jumped at the chance to not only see the Methow Valley again but to help some of Washington’s tourism partners recognize the value in history, heritage and culture. The drive from Lacey to Winthrop is a long one, but

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Yesterday’s history is today’s tourist attraction
0306, 2015

Yesterday’s history is today’s tourist attraction

The ability to entice visitors to your corner of Washington may lie in your area’s unique local history. Statistics show that more and more people are citing historical—whether it be natural, cultural or heritage tourism as the reason for their travel. You need to stay on the forefront of this emerging trend…but how? What is heritage tourism? The National Trust for Historic Preservation defines heritage tourism as “traveling to experience

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